Medford, Mass. - Senior guard Tiffany Kornegay (Carver, Mass.) scored 14 points with nine rebounds and four steals as the Tufts University Jumbo women's basketball team cruised to a 75-54 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) win over the visiting Trinity College Bantams this evening at Cousens Gym. The Jumbos clinched one of the four home berths into the conference championship that starts February 18.
Tufts never trailed in tonight's contest, taking a 49-22 halftime lead and not looking back. The Jumbos improved to 18-4 overall and 7-1 in NESCAC. Trinity lost for the fourth time in five games, falling to 7-11 overall and 1-6 in the league.
Tufts first-year point guard Kelsey Morehead (Foster City, Calif.) shot 3-for-5 on three-pointers and finished with 13 points, while senior co-captain Kate Barnosky (Huntington Station, N.Y.) had 11 points with nine rebounds and three assists. The Bantams also had three players score in double-digits. Junior guard Carly Napier (Pittsford, N.Y.) had 14 while senior tri-captains Michelle Royals (Torrington, Conn.) and Kaitlin Ciarleglio (Waterbury, Conn.) both had 10.
Trinity was within 17-11 after Ciarleglio's lay-up at the 14-minute mark, but Tufts outscored the Bantams 20-4 during the next nine minutes-plus to lead, 37-15, following two Barnosky free throws. Tufts led by 27 at halftime, with five Jumbos scoring seven or more points led by Kornegay's 10. Royals led Trinity at intermission with seven points. The Tufts lead only dipped below 20 a few times late in the second half. It peaked at 30 (65-35) on a three-pointer by sophomore Caitlin McClure (Arlington, Va.) with 10:17 remaining in regulation.
The hosts finished with a 45-31 advantage in rebounds. They made 8 of 18 three-point shots (44.4 percent) and hit 9 of 11 free throws (81.8 percent). First-year Hayley Kanner (Scarsdale, NY) finished at five points with five rebounds and three blocks. Trinity, which was held to 32.1 percent (18-56) shooting, got seven rebounds and two blocks by junior Heather Lyhne (Wethersfield, Conn.). Sophomore Moriah Sweeney (Ramsey, N.J.) had six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. The Bantams were just 14-for-24 (58.3 percent) from the line.